Breaker timing



BREAKER TIMING Original Filed May 7, 1941 LNVENTOR VEDWARD A VOGEI. l

ATTORNEY Patented June 20, 1944 dward'A. Vogel, Beloit, Wis., assigner to Fairbanks, Morse &' Co., Chicago, Ill.,` acorporation of Illinois Original application May 7,l 1941, Serial No.

392,312. Divided and this application Novem- I bel 9, 1942, Seria/l N0. 465,011' ,V

(c1. 20o-8o) 1. claim.

This inventionrelates to improvements in ignition devices for internal combustion engines, and has particular .reference tor an improved breaker timing mechanism of an automatic character. It is to be noted that the present application is a division of my application for improvements in Ignition deviceled May '7, 1941 and bearing Serial No. 392,312, Patent No. 2,346,094, April 4, 1944.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic breaker timing mechanism. of centrifugally Aoperated type, effective to regulate the breaker cam in its operative relation to the breaker points, responsively to changes in engine speed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as exemplified Y by the accompanying drawing, in which: l

Fig. l illustrates an ignition device which is shown partly in longitudinal section to disclose the improved breaker timing mechanism;`

Fig. 2 is a vfragmentary sectional elevation vertically through the device, as viewed from line f 2-2 in Fig. l, clearly illustrating features of the timing mechanism, and, v y

Fig. 3 is a further fragmentary vertical section as taken from linev 3 3 in Fig. breaker assembly.

Referring to the drawing by appropriate characters of reference, the ignition device apart from the present improved timing mechanism incorporated therein, may be of any suitable construction and as here shown, is of the battery ignition type. The device includes a casing portion I preferably of metal, as an aluminum alloy casting, and a casing portion I I which may be of suitable non-magnetic material, as Bakelite. The casing portions in assembly, enclose in the upper section thereof, an induction coil unit I2, while the extension I4 of casing portion II serves to enclose a suitable distributor assembly (not shown). Casing I0 may be provided with a. flange I5 through which the device may be mounted on the frame of the engine (not shown). The flange further may include a circular projection or ri-b I6 serving to properly locate and center the device in assembly to the engine for driven connection to a rotating part of the engine (not shown).

The end wall I9 of casing I0 is provided with aligned, external and internal bosses and 22 respectively, through which extends a shaft-receiving bore 23, the bore being concentric with A1, showing the thecircular rib I6 as shown, Projecting through the bore and' rotatably journalled therein by suitablev sleeve bearing elements 24, is a shaft 26, the outer end of which carries a coupling device 2l for driven connection of the shaft to the engine crankshaft or other operating part of the engine `(not shown). It isl to be noted that the bosses 20 and 22 on casing wall I9, provide the sole bearing ,support for the shaft 26. The inner end portion 28 of the shaft 26 projects beyond the adjacent boss 22, andis axially recessed, as at 30, to receive and freely journal therein a spindle or stub shaft 3l'. The stub shaft 3| has its outer end portion enlarged and formed to pro- Vide a cam 32, of the form shown in end elevation inl'Fig. 3, for operating the circuit interrupter or breaker mechanism presently to. be described.

The interrupter cam 32 through its stem or spindle element 3|,` is driven from the shaft 26 by an interconnecting breaker timing or governor means which isroperable in response to changes in engine ,operating speed, for effecting angular shifts ofthe cam S2 relative to the shaft 26, and hence relative to the engine crankshaft, to thereby advance or retard the cam-operation of the breaker or interrupter in accordance with increasing or decreasing engine speed. The governor mechanism for controlling the ignition spark Vadvance and 'retard'comprises according to the presentlypreferred embodiment thereof, a plate-disc 34 having a hub 35 seating on the inner end 28 of the shaft 26 and suitably secured thereto. Pivotally mounted on the disc by means of pivot pins 36, are a pair of Weightelements 31 each of substantially arcuate extent. As appears in Fig. 2, the relative pivotal arrangement of the weights is such that each tends to swing in the counter-clockwise direction under the influence of centrifugal force resulting upon rotation of the shaft 26. To the free end of each weight element is pivotally connected a link element 38, and to the free end of each of the latter elements is connected one end of a spring 40, the opposite ends of the springs 40 being suitably anchored to the disc hub 35, as shown. The cam spindle 3| is bored transversely therethrough, as at 4I, and diametrally opposed slots 42 are provided in the shaft end 28, in registry with the bore 4 I. Projected through the slots and bore is a rod 44 having its free ends suitably pivotally connected to the link elements 38. The resulting governor mechanism as will now appear. thus effectively provides for angular shift of the cam shaft and cam relative to shaft 26, in response to changes in engine speed, the total extent of cam shift being limited by abutment of the rod 44 with the opposite ends of the slots 42.

As appears in Figs. 1 and 3, the casing I0 is provided with spaced internal bosses 45 for the support of a frame member or plate 46 formed by preference, of insulating material, the plate being removably attached to the bosses by suitable screws 48 and its location being in the lower part of the casing, in vertical disposition as shown. The plate which serves to support the interrupter mechanism, is centrally apertured, as at 49, Ato receive therethrough the cam 32 and end 2B of shaft 26. The interrupter or circuit breaker device operated by cam 32, may be of any well known construction, but as here shown (Fig. 3) includes a bell crank 50 having one end 52 adapted for cam-following contact with cam 32, and its opposite end supporting a contact 53. Bell crank 60 is formed of insulating material, and is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, on an adjustably fixed plate element or bracket 54 secured to frame plate 46 by suitable screws 56. A fixed contact 51 is carried by bracket plate 54 ln position for circuit make-and-break cooperation with the movable contact 53, and its circuit connection is made to ground in any suitable manner, through the metal casing I0. The bracket also supports a conductor terminal 58, through an upstanding ear 60 from which the terminal is insulated, as by insulating washers 6I. A leaf spring 62 of conducting material, has one end secured to terminal B and its opposite end secured to the contact 53 on bell crank 5|), the spring serving to load the bell crank such as to urge the bell crank end 52 toward the cam 32, to maintain camfollowing engagement thereof with the earn. The leaf spring serves also, to provide the circuit connection between the movable contact 53 of the breaker assembly, and the terminal 58. A condenser unit 63 is carried on the frame plate 46, being mounted thereon in any suitable manner as at 64. The condenser as will be understood, is provided for connection across the interrupter contacts 53-51 to dampen arcing upon separation of the contacts in the interrupter operation.

According to the present disclosure, the frame plate 46 serves as an operative support for the distributor drive connection from shaft 26. To

lthis end the plate is formed to provide a horizontal, laterally projecting bearing member 65, arranged on the upper portion of the plate such that the axis thereof is parallel to and substantially vertically above the axis of the plate aperture 49, which aperture receives therethrough the end 28 of shaft 26 and the cam 32 (Fig. l). A stub shaft 66 is extended through the bearing member 65 and is rotatably journalled thereby by means of sleeve bearings 61. Secured to one end of the shaft 66 is a gear 68 which enmeshes a pinion 69 on the end 28 of shaft 26, the pinion in the present example, being formed integrally with the latter shaft end, as by cutting the pinion teeth in the peripheral surface of the shaft end, as indicated in Figs. l and 2. The stub shaft 66 is projected through an aperture 10 in an in ternal wall 12 of the casing Il for driving connection with a distributor rotor (not shown) within the casing extension I4.

It will now appear that I have provided an improved and fully automatic breaker timer device adapted for effecting proper timing of contact and separation of the breaker points by the cam 32, in direct relation to engine speed.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the construction and assembly relation of parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined b'y the appended claim.

I claim:

An automatic control device of the character described for a cam-actuated ignition circuit interrupter, the device comprising a rotatable shaft -provided `with an axial recess in one end and having opposite transverse slots communicating with the inner end portion of the shaft recess, a spindle rotatably received in said shaft recess and formed on its outer end to provide an interrupter actuating cam, a disc having a hub portionflxed to said shaft, opposed weight elements mounted on the disc for swinging movement responsively t0 centrifugal force, a pin projected through said spindle and laterally therefrom through said shaft slots, said slots each being of an extent to permit movement of the pin projecting therethrough for affording a limited relative rotation of the shaft and spindle, a link element pivotally connected to the free end of each weight element and to one end of said pin, and a spring between said disc hub and each link element, effective to loa the associated Weight element.

EDWARD A. VOGEL. 

